Straight bat from captain at drinks with PM
Quick-thinking Eoin Morgan avoids repeat of 2005 antics by silencing World Cup heroes’ chants
IT HAD taken 14 long years for the esteemed members of the England and Wales Cricket Board to live down the horror of their players staggering out of Downing Street drunk, having insulted the prime minister.
So when England’s current crop of stars, fresh from the World Cup triumph, were invited back for the first time since 2005, the ECB had its steely captain to thank for avoiding any further embarrassment. The Daily Telegraph can disclose how quickthinking Eoin Morgan gave the players a light-hearted dressing down after a small group of players boisterously burst into song as they prepared to leave No 10 and face the cameras.
The team-mates launched into a rendition of “Allez, Allez, Allez” – a stadium chant adapted to pay tribute to their world title feat – after saying goodbye to Theresa May and gathering in the reception area just moments before facing the TV cameras.
Fortunately, Morgan quickly smelt danger and told the players in no uncertain terms to be quiet. “Look guys, we’ve got to calm it,” Morgan told the teammates, as an impressed Sir John Major looked on.
After winning by the barest of margins and claiming the most dramatic victory in the sport’s history, no one could have begrudged Morgan’s team a little celebrating, and news of the intervention by the steely skipper who showed such conviction to steer England to their first world title, was filtered back to Mrs May, who said with a smile to aides that she was impressed by his leadership.
A team source, meanwhile, told The Telegraph how there was never any danger of a repeat scene of the humiliation in 2005 when they were invited to No10 by Tony Blair after their Ashes win over Australia.
Then, to the horror of the ECB, Matthew Hoggard managed to insult Mr Blair, while Michael Vaughan, the captain, tried to get Mr Blair’s eldest son, Euan, to pop out and buy them some alcohol when it emerged there would only be soft drinks.
The source said: “It was nothing like in 2005. Everything was in good spirits and it was a fantastic day for English cricket, starting with the children at the Oval and ending at Downing Street. There was certainly no danger of any rude words being uttered in that song and Eoin quickly told them to calm it.”
The players had been on their best behaviour after a celebrations the previous night when the alcohol was still flowing at 4am at the Landmark Hotel, London. Before attending Downing Street, the cricketers put on a brave face through the hangovers at they met hundreds of adoring children as part of a celebration at the Oval.
Mrs May, who was at England’s dramatic tournament win against New Zealand at Lord’s, had been gushing with praise for the players during the reception, and is likely to recommend the entire team for honours in the New Year’s list.